College Hoops

UVA Men’s Basketball | First-Round Challenge Awaits Hoos in Orlando

UVA Men's Basketball | First-Round Challenge Awaits Hoos in Orlando

Without Vander Plas, who had surgery on his hand Monday, UVA has fewer frontcourt options, and its offense isn’t as adept at spreading the floor.

“He was so versatile and could stretch the defense, pull things out of the lane,” Bennett said. “He had a skill and a steadiness … he was a smart, sound player, strong, so there’s things that he did that we got used to. You missed those [in the ACC tournament].”

UVA centers Francisco Caffaro and Kadrin Shedrick, who stand 7-foot-1 and 6-foot-11, respectively, played more than in Greensboro than they had late in the regular season, and 6-foot-5 Taine Murray, a seldom-used sophomore, came off the bench against Clemson and Duke at the ACC tournament. The 6-foot-6 Gardner and 6-foot-8 Ryan Dunn continue to play major roles for the Cavaliers.

“We’ve got nine able guys right now, counting the scholarship guys, and they all gotta be ready to go,” Bennett said. “It will be a collective effort, because [the Paladins are] gonna make you guard with cuts and movement and clever stuff.”

The UVA-Furman winner will meet No. 5 seed San Diego State (27-6) or No. 12 seed Charleston (31-3) in the second round Saturday.

“It’s such a great opportunity to be in this tournament,” Bennett said. “I told our guys after [the selection show Sunday night], ‘Remember last year.’ ”

In 2021-22, the Hoos missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012-13. They advanced to the National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals last year—as they had in 2013, too—and enjoyed that experience, but it wasn’t the same as competing in the NCAAs.

“You never take that for granted,” said Bennett, who as a sweet-shooting guard in 1991 helped Green Bay advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time.

In 2019, Bennett guided Virginia to the NCAA title. A year later, the pandemic forced the cancellation of the NCAA tournament. The Cavaliers returned to that stage in 2021, but their stay was brief.

From the UVA team that lost to Ohio that season, only Clark, Caffaro, Shedrick, and guards Reece Beekman and Chase Coleman are still in the program. The Cavaliers’ top two scorers this season, guard Armaan Franklin (12.5 ppg) and Gardner (12.1 ppg), were at Indiana and East Carolina, respectively, in 2020-21.

Neither Franklin and Gardner had played in the NCAA tournament before transferring to UVA in the spring of 2021. They chose Virginia “to have that chance to compete in our conference and…

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